NFL Playoffs and Records broken for 2011

By Reggie's Take on January 2, 2012

With Week 17 in the books, we now know who will play who and when during NFL Wild Card Weekend:

Saturday, Jan. 7
AFC: No. 6 Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) at No. 3 Houston Texans (10-6), 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
NFC: No. 6 Detroit Lions (10-6) at No. 3 New Orleans Saints (13-3), 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Sunday, Jan. 8
NFC: No. 5 Atlanta Falcons (10-6) at New York Giants (9-7), 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
AFC: No. 5 Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) at No. 4 Denver Broncos (8-8), 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

In addition to wild-card games, the NFL also released the schedule for divisional games:

Saturday, Jan. 14
NFC: Highest remaining NFC seed at No. 2 San Francisco 49ers (13-3), 4:30 p.m, ET (FOX)
AFC: Lowest remaining AFC seed at No. 1 New England Patriots (13-3), 8 p.m. ET (CBS)

Sunday, Jan. 15
AFC: Highest remaining AFC seed at No. 2 Baltimore Ravens (12-4), 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
NFC: Lowest remaining NFC seed at No. 1 Green Bay Packers (15-1), 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

A few records that were broken during the 2011 regular season in the NFL:

Rob Gronkowski of Pats set NFL single-season record for most receiving yards by tight end with 1,327

Packers’ Aaron Rodgers sets NFL record with 122.5 QB rating, eclipsing Peyton Manning’s 121.1 (2004)

Tom Brady of Pats becomes 3rd QB in NFL history to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a season

Saints QB Drew Brees breaks Peyton Manning’s NFL single-season record of 450 completions in 2010

Saints QB Drew Brees finishes with NFL single-season records of 5,476 passing yards, 468 completions

Three 5,000-yard QBs this season – Drew Brees a record 5,476, Tom Brady 5,235, Matt Stafford 5,038

Lions QB Matt Stafford 520 passing yds vs. Pack (most NFL game since Boomer Esiason’s 522 in 1996)

Lions WR Calvin Johnson led NFL with 1,681 receiving yards, Pats WR Wes Welker NFL-high 122 catches

The Colts locked up the No. 1 pick in April’s draft.